Act I Chapter VI: Percy Starts His New Life
"Make a left," Percy ordered as he stared out the window. It was the strangest thing. When he first moved to New York, he hadn't been that great at navigation, almost getting on the wrong subway a few times. Now, he knew exactly where to go. It was just a gut feeling that he had.
The second that he saw the sign for West Orange, New Jersey, he knew where to go. Sally seemed to grow sadder and sadder as they drove further into the town. It was when they came close to a forest that Percy spoke, "Here."
Sally looked back at Percy and seemed ready to cry. Percy slowly got out of the car. He looked around the forested area that they were in front of. There were a few families around that seemed to be getting ready to hike. A deep breath left Percy, and he walked towards the trunk.
Percy grabbed his duffel bag and slung it across his back. He closed the trunk and turned. Percy almost jumped as he saw the man standing across from him. The man was older than Percy and looked like he had already graduated high school.
The man looked athletic and fit. He wore an orange shirt and boarding shorts, and the carefree smile on his face made it look like he was getting ready to hit the waves. His sandy blonde hair was cut short and cropped, and there was a kindness in his blue eyes. The image was ruined by the deep, pale scar that started at the bottom of one of his eyes and ran down to his chin.
"Hey folks!" the man greeted. "Can I help you find anything today?"
Percy looked at Sally, and she gave him a comforting nod. Percy slowly looked back at the man and spoke, "I'm looking for the Wolf House."
Another smile came to the man's face, and he held his hand out. Percy slowly shook his hand. The man spoke, "My name is Luke Castellan. I imagine you're quite confused about the dream."
"I am. And, I'm Percy. Percy Jackson," Percy began. He was actually confused by everything, but it was starting to occur to him that he would be leaving his mother and Paul behind. Luke turned his head to the side.
"I don't want to rush this, but I should get him to the others," Luke began.
"I know," Sally replied. She walked towards Percy and hugged him tightly. Sally kissed his forehead and looked like she was trying to hold in her tears. Percy hugged her back tightly and tried to hold back his own tears. "I love you, Percy."
"I love you too," Percy whispered. "Will I see you again?"
"You will," Sally promised. She pulled away just enough to kiss his cheek. "I am so proud of you, Percy. Be safe."
"I will," Percy promised. He pulled away completely and wiped his eyes. Paul placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Good luck," Paul said. Percy smiled and suddenly hugged Paul. It seemed like Paul was surprised, but he finally hugged back. After a few moments, Percy pulled away.
"You two get back safe. I'll try to call you when I can," Percy promised. Sally gave him a pained smile. She hugged him again and finally pulled away. Sally slowly walked back to the car, and Paul followed. The two got in, and they took even longer to drive away. Percy watched the entire time, and his heart felt like it was breaking.
Percy had never been apart from his mother. Now, he didn't know what to do with himself. When the car was out of sight, Percy finally turned back to Luke. The older man smiled and motioned for him to follow. Percy did, and they walked into the woods.
"How much do you know, Percy?" Luke asked. Percy was still shocked by his mother leaving, and he decided it would be best to stay silent, especially since he wasn't supposed to tell anyone about his father.
"Just the dreams," Percy began. Luke gave him a sympathetic look.
"I'll give the bigger speech when the others are here, but for now, I'll give you the brief explanation. You are what we call a half-blood or demigod. Half-human. Half-god. I'm not sure which one of those two was your birth parent or if you think both are, but one of your parents is actually a god," Luke explained.
"Unfortunately, it's hard to know exactly who you are the son of. Most gods are what we like to call 'out of commission'," Luke continued. His expression hardened for a moment, becoming more bitter. Then, a smile came to his face, and Percy almost thought he imagined the entire thing. Almost. "Now, the gods are the same ones from the Greek and Roman myths. Those monsters from those myths exist as well."
"Those monsters also love to hunt us demigods. That is why we are going to train you to protect yourself and survive," Luke finished. "And I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I heard what you said to your mom. Demigods can't use cell phones. It's like shooting a flare into the sky that all monsters can see."
"When can I see her then?" Percy asked.
"Training will take three months," Luke replied. "There are only three of you this time, so you'll have plenty of individualized training."
"Just three of us?" Percy asked in surprise. "There are only three demigods? Isn't there like a hundred different gods and goddesses?"
"Yeah," Luke confirmed with a sad sigh. "A lot of demigods don't make it to their teenage years. Monsters will find them before then. Others ignore the dream, thinking it's just a bad nightmare. We also can't have too many demigods gathered together at once. The more demigods together attract more monsters."
"Isn't there a safe place for demigods?" Percy asked.
"There used to be. Decades ago. But, both of those safe places were destroyed," Luke remarked sadly. He shook his head. "You'll learn all about that soon. Now, do you remember how I told you there are monsters from those old myths? There are also creatures, and not all of them are evil. You are about to meet one, so don't be scared."
Percy was going to ask why he would be scared, but the two of them stepped into a clearing. Percy froze as he saw the creature in front of him. The top half was normal, almost reminding Percy of a school teacher. The man had a tweed jacket and an orange shirt underneath. One hand moved his brown hair behind his ear, and his brown eyes twinkled with kindness.
And the bottom half was a white stallion.
Percy stopped walking and just gawked. Luke chuckled and commented, "That never gets old. Come on, Percy."
Another woman, maybe a year younger than Percy, stood off to the side. She was an Asian girl with dark hair rolling off her shoulder in waves, brown eyes that looked him up and down in disgust, perfect makeup, and a lot of pink eyeliner. In conclusion, she was the most stunning person Percy had ever seen.
Upon meeting his eyes, her nose crinkled, and she turned her nose up at him. Luke stepped forward and spoke, "Percy Jackson, meet Drew Tanaka."
"Hi," Percy began. Drew rolled her eyes and looked away.
"I have a pretty good guess about her godly parent," Luke whispered. He looked back up. "Percy, meet Chiron. He is one of our mentors."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Percy," Chiron greeted with a smile. He bowed his head.
"You too," Percy replied after a moment. He couldn't help but stare. "You're a..."
"Centaur," Chiron finished. He looked at Luke. "Can you wait for the last one?"
"Of course," Luke said. He turned and walked back the way that they had come. Percy looked at Chiron and tried to hide his bewilderment.
"Will you close your mouth?" Drew asked. Percy slowly shut his jaw and looked at the centaur in front of him. He was grateful that Chiron didn't seem to be upset about the gawking.
"I know it is a lot to take in," Chiron began. "When the third one gets here, we will begin making our way towards our temporary camp."
"Wait. Temporary camp?" Drew questioned. Chiron looked at her.
"Yes. There are times when we are required to move our camp to avoid monster attacks," Chiron explained kindly.
"The dream didn't say anything about walking," Drew complained.
"You'll be doing a lot more than walking," Chiron informed. He didn't look upset by the glare that Drew gave him. "We will train you how to survive out in the mortal world and protect yourselves from monsters."
"Why can't we just go somewhere safe?" Drew asked. Percy looked at Drew and then Chiron. He kind of wanted to tell Drew to shut up, but he kept his own mouth shut. "I never said I wanted to train."
"The training is necessary to keep you alive," Chiron began. "There is no longer a safe place for demigods like the two of you to go. Without training, you will be hunted by monsters and killed. My job is to give you a fighting chance. Along with combat training, we will teach you to read and write Latin and Ancient Greek. One will come easier than the other depending on what form your parent was in."
"Form?" Percy interrupted. "What does that mean?"
"I am getting ahead of myself," Chiron apologized. "The Greek and Romans gods are one and the same. They are the same person, but they have two different forms. Almost like a split personality, but they mostly act the same in each form. The Roman form is harsher than the Greek counterpart. When there were two camps, the different forms decided what camp you went to. Now, it just determines which language you can read easier."
Percy slowly sat against the tree and tried to take in all of the information. His head was already hurting, but he knew there was a lot more to go. Drew looked just as lost as him and still looked disgusted. She slowly sat down and glared at the grass. Then, she pulled her pink backpack close to her chest, fear seeping into her features for a few moments.
Hours, well probably just minutes, passed as Percy sat there. He was relieved when Luke walked back into the clearing, leading another boy. This boy looked younger than Percy as well. He had blonde hair that was cut short like Luke's, and while his eyes were also blue, they were much brighter.
To this boy's credit, he didn't stare at Chiron with a slack jaw like Percy did. He stared, but it only took him a few moments to look at Percy and then Drew. Luke spoke, "Will Solace, this is Percy Jackson and Drew Tanaka. That is Chiron, one of our mentors."
"It is nice to meet you, Will," Chiron greeted. "I know you three have many questions. I will answer them as we head towards our temporary camp."
Will nodded and slowly started to walk. Percy stood and moved next to Will. Drew slowly followed behind, and Luke took up the rear. Chiron led them through the forest and spoke as he walked, "The three of you are demigods. Half human and half god."
"There was a time when there were camps for demigods. Camp Jupiter, a militaristic camp that ran itself like an army. Children of the Roman gods attended this camp. If they survived ten years of service, they retired into a safe city inside the camp called New Rome. Children of the Greek gods attended Camp Half-Blood. That was the camp that I watched over, training heroes just like you. We had no safe city to live in nor borders that kept us safe."
"Um, Chiron. I'm really sorry to interrupt," Will began.
"Please interrupt me with any questions you have. All of you," Chiron said. He looked at Will and made a motion as if giving him the floor.
"Well, are you the Chiron? The same one from the stories?" Will asked.
"Please. Those stories are so old. There is no way this is the same person," Drew argued.
"Actually, Mr. Solace is correct. I am the Chiron from the old stories. I trained the heroes of old mythological tales, and I enjoyed it so much that I asked Lord Zeus to make me immortal. All so I could continue to train heroes."
When no one made a comment or asked another question, Chiron continued his speech, "The two camps were destroyed decades ago. The Greeks and Romans went to war, and the aftermath was too many dead heroes and blood that seeped into the earth. The aftermath destroyed both of the camps, wiped out most of the demigods, and nearly caused the gods to disappear."
"The gods cannot die like mortals can. They will not succumb to old age or sickness. Even serious injuries will only take them out temporarily. They can fade away, though. When no one worships or acknowledges them, they may just fade away into nothingness."
"Most of the gods have not faded away, but they have gone silent. Some minor gods have faded. Others just hide in their temples or sacred land, waiting to see what will happen. The twelve Olympians all have not faded, but no one knows where they are. They are not up on Mount Olympus."
"You went all the way to Greece to look?" Drew interrupted.
"Oh no. Mount Olympus is no longer on that mountain. When the Greeks were conquered by the Romans, the gods were split into two forms that were the same god. Lord Zeus and Lord Jupiter were the same person but two different sides of the coin. He knew what each side was doing, but which one appeared to the mortals depended on if he was going to Athens or Rome. Mount Olympus stayed on Mount Olympus, until Rome fell."
"Then, Mount Olympus moved with the flames of Western Civilization. From France, to England, to Germany, and now to America. Now, you can find Mount Olympus above the Empire State Building," Chiron explained.
"I haven't seen it above there," Percy began.
"It's up there, but you can't see it. No mortal can because of the Mist," Luke chimed in. Percy looked back at Luke. "The Mist is how the world of gods and monsters has stayed hidden. Mortals see what they want to see. That's how monsters disguise themselves in the mortal world as well."
"A monster with one eye may seem like they have two or have even lost one. Large dog-like beasts can look like a wolf or even an elephant. Children have an easier time to see through the Mist, as they still believe in the magic of the world. Adults are so caught up in their own worlds that they cannot open their minds," Luke continued. "Swords or spears may look like guns or nightsticks."
"Mount Olympus is connected to the mortal world by magic of sorts. And the Mist helps as well," Chiron took over. "The twelve Olympians have not faded, and the flame of Mount Olympus still burns. That is why we still train heroes."
"Why has no one tried to bring the gods back?" Percy asked after a few moments. Chiron looked back at him.
"It is not an easy task as it sounds. First, an insane amount of danger would be faced. More than what our short time together can give you training for. Second, it would require a quest, and we have not received a quest since the destruction of the camps. We do not have supplies, the numbers, or a prophecy to send anyone. A few have tried to go off on their own, but they have all died," Chiron answered sadly.
"Even if one were to find a missing Olympian, there is no telling what state they will be in. We have no clue how to restore them to their former selves. Plus, there are a few that may not want the Olympians to return," Chiron explained, and since he was still looking at Percy, it was easy to see the way that his eyes flickered to the ground. Percy looked down as well.
"That is not the burden any of you should take. You should just focus on learning as much as you can before we have to part ways," Chiron stated.
"Why do we have to part ways? Do we come back next year?" Will asked.
"No," Luke said grimly. "All demigods have a scent, and the more powerful the parent, the more powerful the scent. A child of Aphrodite won't give off much of a scent, but a child of Ares or Athena can be dangerous. And without a sign of who your godly parent is, we are left to guess. We train for three months, constantly staying on the move. That way monsters cannot find us."
"At the end of the three months, we part ways. A few of us with lesser scents go with Chiron. Our other mentor finds a new place for us to train, and a month later will send out another dream to a new batch of demigods. If all the demigods stayed with us, monsters would find us immediately, and we would be under constant attack," Luke continued.
"Can't you just tell us where the camp will be next? Or call us?" Will asked in confusion.
"Demigods cannot use phones. It will alert monsters to their location, and they will be swarmed. A letter is too slow and dangerous. Monsters disguise themselves as everyday humans: mailmen, teachers, and even police officers. There is a chance they can intercept the letters and find where the camp is," Chiron answered. "And, Lady Lupa can only send out the dream for the Wolf House to demigods who had never received it before."
"There used to be a way that we can message: an Iris message. One day many years ago, we just weren't able to send any more messages. I am worried that Iris has faded, or worse. I can only pray she is safe," Chiron said quietly.
"But, why can't we just stay together and fight off the monsters?" Drew demanded. "If we're trained enough, we can do it."
"Monsters can be destroyed, but they do not die. They reform down in Tartarus," Luke informed quietly.
"We tried before," Chiron added. He looked at them with a grim expression. "It didn't work, and I watched too many be slaughtered. That is why we must do it this way. It keeps us from being in an endless siege. And if we are in an endless siege, any new demigods that try to come will find monsters in their way."
"That's why you three must focus on your training," Luke finished. Percy looked back at him. "We'll outfit you with a weapon that works best for you, armor, and enough training to hopefully help you see adulthood."
"The work will be hard, but I know you can handle it," Chiron added. He stopped and looked ahead. "Ah. We are here. Come. Let me introduce you to Lady Lupa and the few that are here to help you train. Welcome to Camp Olympus."